cannabisnews.com: World Leaders on Dope





World Leaders on Dope
Posted by FoM on May 30, 2001 at 13:21:20 PT
By Russ Kick
Source: Village Voice
The American drug war may yet grind on, but one by one, the troops are hiking out. Right-wingers like Jesse Ventura, Gary Johnson, Dan Quayle, William F. Buckley, and George Schultz have all voiced support for either ending the costly campaign of interdiction and imprisonment, or at least decriminalizing pot. Through the years, in statements little-noted or splashed onto front pages, they've aligned themselves with leaders around the world, all standing in unlikely opposition to the frat-boy chief commander in the White House.
President Bush shows no sign of yielding, instead choosing to harden his stance. In May, announcing the appointment of a drug czar who makes John Ashcroft look like a hippie, Bush thundered, "John Walters and I believe the only humane and compassionate response to drug use is a moral refusal to accept it. We emphatically disagree with those who favor drug legalization." These days, that means disagreeing with a lengthening list of international heavyweights—former presidents of the United States, current presidents of Latin American countries, legislators, governors, high-ranking judges, and law enforcement officials. Not that all of them favor outright legalization—most don't—but each has broached the possibility of relaxing the laws. Two weeks ago, as the U.S. Supreme Court shot down medical marijuana like Christian missionaries over Peru, the Canadian Parliament was questioning whether soft drugs should be decriminalized. "It's time to be bold," lawmaker Derek Lee told the Ottawa Citizen. "Everything has to be on the table." Bush finds himself hemmed in by opinion south of the border as well, where some of his strongest allies in free trade break radically with his policies on drugs. President Vicente Fox of Mexico, for one, assures the Bush administration he will be an obedient, merciless drug warrior, while he tells his own country's newspapers that someday humanity will recognize universal drug legalization as the best course. A parade of brutal statistics has long made clear the merit of Fox's legalize-it zeal. According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, police in 1998 arrested 682,885 Americans for marijuana offenses, more than the number for all violent crimes combined. After eight years of Bill Clinton, a supposed progressive who could have provided relief, some 450,000 drug offenders sat behind bars—a total almost equal to the entire U.S. prison population in 1980. The president who later told Rolling Stone he believed small amounts of pot should be decriminalized spent his terms fueling a multibillion-dollar escalation of the drug war, in which people were killed in raids of the wrong homes and constitutional rights were shredded. On average, the Lindesmith Center reports, a federal offender in the Clinton era drew twice as much time for drugs as for manslaughter. The Drug Policy Foundation calculates that in 1999, the feds spent $1.7 billion to guard America's borders and coasts—$17,700 per mile—only to have 70 percent of the coke and 90 percent of the heroin make it through. Drug use continues to climb, with some 72 million Americans believed to have tried pot. While the U.S. continues its self-destructive orgy of arrests and wasted money, other parts of the world move forward. The Swiss government has endorsed a plan to legalize pot and hash consumption and allow some shops to sell cannabis. Belgium allows people to grow pot for personal use. The Netherlands allows coffee houses to sell marijuana. Portugal, Spain, and Italy punish the use of any drug (including heroin and coke) with only an administrative sanction, such as a fine. Britain has loosened its laws a tiny bit, allowing low-level marijuana offenses to be immediately expunged from arrest records. In an effort to control the damage from opiate addiction, Australia has opened the world's largest heroin-injecting room in Sydney. But it's in the regions most wracked by narco-violence that the cry for legalization rings most clear. Having been shot in the neck by a police officer thought to be acting under orders from drug lords, Patricio Martínez García, governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, told El Universal in March that he believed a proposal for legalization must be considered. "Because if the war is going to continue being lost, with the deterioration of the life of communities and even the nation, and with the deterioration of the quality of life for the citizens of the country, well, then, where are we heading?" said García, whose state borders Texas and New Mexico. "There has to be a remaking of the law." Courtesy of Embassy of Mexico - Vicente Fox Mexican President "My opinion is that in Mexico it is not a crime to have a small dose of drugs in one's pocket. . . . But the day that the alternative of freeing the consumption of drugs from punishment comes, it will have to be done in the entire world because we are not going to win anything if Mexico does it, but the production and traffic of the drugs . . . to the United States continues. Thus, humanity will one day view it [legalization] as the best in this sense." source: Unomasuno, March 17, 2001 Courtesy of Embassy of Mexico - Jorge Castañeda Mexican Foreign Minister "In the end, legalization of certain substances may be the only way to bring prices down, and doing so may be the only remedy to some of the worst aspects of the drug plague: violence, corruption, and the collapse of the rule of law." source: Newsweek, September 6, 1999 Jorge Batlle President of Uruguay "Why don't we just legalize drugs? . . . The day that it is legalized in the United States, it will lose value. And if it loses value, there will be no profit. But as long as the U.S. citizenry doesn't rise up to do something, they will pass this life fighting and fighting." source: El Observador, December 1, 2000 Courtesy of the White House - Bill Clinton former U.S. President "I think that most small amounts of marijuana have been decriminalized in some places, and should be." source: Rolling Stone, October 6, 2000 Progressive Conservative Party of Canada - Joe Clark Head of Tory Party, member of Canadian Parliament, former Prime Minister "I believe the least controversial approach is decriminalization [of marijuana], because it's unjust to see someone, because of one decision one night in their youth, carry the stigma—to be barred from studying medicine, law, architecture or other fields where a criminal record could present an obstacle." source: Globe and Mail, May 23, 2001 Courtesy of the White House - Jimmy Carter Former U.S. President "Penalties against a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana for personal use. The National Commission on Marijuana . . . concluded years ago that marijuana use should be decriminalized, and I believe it is time to implement those basic recommendations." source: speech to Congress, August 2, 1977 Fred W. McDarrah - Dan Quayle former U.S. Vice President "Congress should definitely consider decriminalizing possession of marijuana. . . . We should concentrate on prosecuting the rapists and burglars who are a menace to society." source: Smoke and Mirrors: The War on Drugs and the Politics of Failure by Dan Baum, quoting Quayle from 1977 George Schultz Reagan's Secretary of State "We need at least to consider and examine forms of controlled legalization of drugs." source: Associated Press, November 6, 1989 Abigail Van Buren Advice Columnist "I agree that marijuana laws are overdue for an overhaul. I also favor the medical use of marijuana—if it's prescribed by a physician. I cannot understand why the federal government should interfere with the doctor-patient relationship, nor why it would ignore the will of a majority of voters who have legally approved such legislation." source: "Dear Abby," March 1, 1999 Courtesy of Universal Press - William F. Buckley Conservative Author "Now it's one thing to say (I say it) that people shouldn't consume psychoactive drugs. It is entirely something else to condone marijuana laws the application of which resulted, in 1995, in the arrest of 588,963 Americans. Why are we so afraid to inform ourselves on the question?" source: syndicated column, October 21, 1997 Courtesy of Governor of New Mexico Office - Gary Johnson Governor of New Mexico "Make drugs a controlled substance like alcohol. Legalize it, control it, regulate it, tax it. If you legalize it, we might actually have a healthier society." source: The Boston Globe, October 13, 1999 Ben Cayetano Governor of Hawaii "I just think it's a matter of time that Congress finally gets around to understanding that the states should be allowed to provide this kind of relief [medical marijuana] to the people. Congress is way, way behind in their thinking." source: Associated Press, May 15, 2001 Courtesy of Governor of Minnesota Office - Jesse Ventura Governor of Minnesota "The prohibition of drugs causes crime. You don't have to legalize, just decriminalize it. Regulate it. Create places where the addict can go get it." source: Playboy, November 1999 Kurt Schmoke former Mayor of Baltimore "Decriminalization would take the profit out of drugs and greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the drug-related violence that is currently plaguing our streets." source: The Washington Post, May 15, 1988 Frank Jordan former mayor of San Francisco "I have no problem whatsoever with the use of marijuana for medical purposes. I am sensitive and compassionate to people who have legitimate needs. We should bend the law and do what's right." source: Los Angeles Times, February 26, 1995 Courtesy of Congressman - Ron Paul Ron Paul U.S. Congressman from Texas "When we finally decide that drug prohibition has been no more successful than alcohol prohibition, the drug dealers will disappear." source: Paul's Web site -- http://www.house.gov/paul/ Jorge Sampaio President of Portugal "Policies conceived and enforced to control drug-related problems and effects have led to disastrous and perverse results. Prohibition is the fundamental principle of drug policies. If we consider the results achieved, there are profound doubts regarding its effectiveness. Prohibitionist policies have been unable to control the consumption of narcotics; on the other hand, there has been an increase of criminality. There is also a high mortality rate related to the quality of substances and to AIDS or other viral diseases." source: Madrid's El País, April 7, 1997 Milton Friedman Nobel Prize winner for economics "Legalizing drugs would simultaneously reduce the amount of crime and raise the quality of law enforcement. Can you conceive of any other measure that would accomplish so much to promote law and order?" source: Newsweek, May 1, 1972 Part IIDream of a Worldwide TruceBy Russ KickVillage VoiceOn the eve of a United Nations special session on drugs, an international roster of luminaries signed a letter, penned by members of the Lindesmith Center, that lobbied for radical change. "We believe that the global war on drugs is now causing more harm than drug abuse itself," read the June 1998 declaration. "Persisting in our current policies will only result in more drug abuse, more empowerment of drug markets and criminals, and more disease and suffering." Among the signatories were Willie Brown, Joycelyn Elders, several former members of Congress, two former U.S. attorneys general, a former assistant secretary of state, three federal judges, the San Jose mayor, a former police commissioner of New York City, a former secretary general of the UN, 28 Spanish judges, past presidents of Bolivia, Guatemala, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua, and current legislators from Australia, Britain, Canada, European Parliament, Mexico, and Peru. Non-politicos who signed include Kweisi Mfume, Walter Cronkite, Stephen Jay Gould, Andrew Weil, Isabel Allende, Günter Grass, a slew of professors at top-notch universities, CEOs, various clergy, and Nobel laureates. Several representatives on Capitol Hill are also bucking for new approaches. Reformers include California representative Tom Campbell, who has suggested "experiments in supplying drugs to addicts the way Zurich tried," according to the Chicago Tribune. Massachusetts representative Barney Frank has repeatedly introduced a bill to change pot from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule II drug, thus allowing states to legalize it for medical purposes. In its current incarnation, the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act is cosponsored by 14 representatives and is residing in a House subcommittee. Many on the federal bench have also seen the light. During his tenure as chief judge of the Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (1993-2000), Reagan appointee Richard Posner argued in favor of legalizing marijuana and psychedelics. District Judge Warren Eginton of Connecticut wants to see pot and cocaine legalized, while District Judge James C. Paine of Florida has condemned the war on drugs. Other leaders who question prohibition are listed below. —R.K. Gustavo de Greiff former Attorney General of Colombia "We should legalize drugs because we here are providing the dead, and the consumers are there in the U.S." source: El Diario-La Prensa, May 8, 1994 Peter Bourne President Carter's Drug Czar "We did not view marijuana as a significant health problem—as it was not. . . . Nobody dies from marijuana. Marijuana smoking, in fact, if one wants to be honest, is a source of pleasure and amusement to countless millions of people in America, and it continues to be that way." source: PBS's Frontline: "Drug Wars," October 2000 Joseph D. McNamara former police chief of San Jose and Kansas City "We should immediately stop arresting people whose only crime is possessing small amounts of drugs for their own use. . . . Marijuana should be treated the same as alcohol and cigarettes." source: The Washington Post, May 19, 1996 Jaime Ruiz senior adviser to the Colombian President "From the Colombian point of view [legalization] is the easy solution. I mean, just legalize it and we won't have any more problems. Probably in five years we wouldn't even have guerrillas. No problems. We [would] have a great country with no problems." source: Ottawa Citizen, September 6, 2000 George Papandreou Greek Foreign Minister "I can officially state that my government and myself believe that all over Europe we need to open a debate on the 'drug question' in order to create more coherent and human policies with better perspectives. . . . The policy of criminalizing consumers has failed, creating many problems to our society." source: Transnational Radical Party's Anti-Prohibitionist Days, Brussels, December 11, 1997 Edward Ellison former head of Scotland Yard's Antidrug Squad "I say legalize drugs because I want to see less drug abuse, not more. And I say legalize drugs because I want to see the criminals put out of business." source: London's Daily Mail, March 10, 1998 Ray Kendall Secretary General of Interpol "[I am] entirely supportive of the notion of removing the abuse of drugs from the penal realm in favor of other forms of regulation such as psycho, medical, social treatment." source: Report of Premier's Advisory Council, 1996 Juan Torruella chief judge of the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals "There is a need for pilot tests of some types of limited decriminalization, probably commencing with marijuana, and obviously not including minors." source: Spotlight Lecture at Colby College, Waterville, Maine, April 25, 1996 John Curtin U.S. district judge, New York "Education, counseling, less use of criminal sanctions, partial legalization, and legalization are all alternatives. It is a hard road, but the present course has failed." source: The Buffalo News, March 2, 1997 Robert Sweet U.S. district judge, New York "Finally, the fundamental flaw, which will ultimately destroy this prohibition as it did the last one, is that criminal sanctions cannot, and should not attempt to, prohibit personal conduct which does no harm to others." source: National Review, February 12, 1996 House of Lords, Great Britain "We consider it undesirable to prosecute genuine therapeutic users of cannabis who possess or grow cannabis for their own use. This unsatisfactory situation underlines the need to legalise cannabis preparations for therapeutic use." source: "Therapeutic Uses of Cannabis," Select Committee on Science and Technology, March 14, 2001 Australian Parliament "Over the past two decades in Australia we have devoted increased resources to drug law enforcement, we have increased the penalties for drug trafficking, and we have accepted increasing inroads on our civil liberties as part of the battle to curb the drug trade. All the evidence shows, however, not only that our law enforcement agencies have not succeeded in preventing the supply of illicit drugs to Australian markets, but that it is unrealistic to expect them to do so. If the present policy of prohibition is not working, then it is time to give serious consideration to the alternatives, however radical they may seem." source: Joint Committee on the National Crime Authority, 1988 Note: Right Joins Left in Call for an End to the Drug War.Source: Village Voice (NY)Author: Russ KickPublished: Week of May 30 - June 5, 2001Copyright: 2001 VV Publishing CorporationContact: editor villagevoice.comWebsite: http://www.villagevoice.com/Related Articles & Web Site:TLC - DPFhttp://www.lindesmith.org/Two Allies Fund a Growing War on the War on Drugshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9906.shtmlPot's U.S. Poster Boy http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9905.shtmlGeorge Soros - Salon.comhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread9164.shtml
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Comment #18 posted by arcturus on May 31, 2001 at 00:35:33 PT:
Read that.
Read the article below. At first I though, "Well, that's a little bit long." But it's great. Check it out. Thanks Crusader!
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Comment #17 posted by QuietCrusader on May 30, 2001 at 20:05:57 PT:
Great Aricle from the Utne Reader
Life after OilBy Jeremiah Creedon in Utne ReaderLong after the oil age has burned itself out, the future will assign a date to when the flame first wavered. It might have been 30 years ago when the world’s great energy consumer, the United States, started using more oil than it produced. Or it might be tomorrow, if we end up drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for what amounts to six months’ worth of fuel. In any case, the crucial point will not be when the end begins, but how long after that we’ll go on denying it. This lag will determine how well our country and the world move beyond the oil age; the longer we hesitate, the more brutal it will be. We actually have a pretty good idea of when even car-loving Americans will have to face the truth. Certain energy experts have seen the moment coming for decades. They’re waiting for what a recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey calls the Big Rollover—the point when the world starts needing more oil than it supplies. These forecasts began with a guy named M. King Hubbert, a geophysicist who in 1956 correctly predicted the initial American rollover in 1970. In 1974 he estimated that the global peak would occur in 1995—not a bad guess. Current forecasts range from 2003 to 2020. In other words, we won’t have to run completely out of oil to be rudely awakened. The panic starts once the world needs more oil than it gets. 	To understand why, you’ve got to fathom how totally addicted to oil we’ve become. We know that petroleum is drawn from deep wells and distilled into gasoline, jet fuel, and countless other products that form the lifeblood of industry and the adrenaline of military might. It’s less well known that the world’s food is now nourished by oil; petroleum and natural gas are crucial at every step of modern agriculture, from making fertilizer to shipping crops. The implications are grim. For millions, the difference between an energy famine and a biblical famine could well be academic. With a global oil crisis looming like the Doomsday Rock, why do so few political leaders seem to care? As independent policy analyst David Fleming writes in the British magazine Prospect (Nov. 2000), many experts refuse to take the problem seriously because it "falls outside the mind-set of market economics." Thanks to the triumph of global capitalism, the free-market model now reigns almost everywhere. The trouble is, its principles "tend to break down when applied to natural resources like oil." The result is both potentially catastrophic and all too human. Our high priests—the market economists—are blind to a reality that in their cosmology cannot exist. Fleming offers several examples of this broken logic at work. Many cling to a belief that higher oil prices will spur more oil discoveries, but they ignore what earth scientists have been saying for years: There aren’t more big discoveries to make. Most of the oil reserves we tap today were actually identified by the mid-1960s. There’s a lot of oil left in the ground—perhaps more than half of the total recoverable supply. Fleming says that’s not the issue. The real concern is the point beyond which demand cannot be met. And with demand destined to grow by as much as 3 percent a year, the missing barrels will add up quickly. Once the pain becomes real, the Darwinian impulse kicks in and the orderly market gives way to chaos. "The United States will fight hard and dirty," Fleming warns, because we’ll have the money to feed our addiction. Other countries won’t. "The United States will export oil scarcity to the rest of the world," adds Fleming, and he’s blunt about what happens after that: "There will be economic destabilization." 	Some insist that industrial societies are growing less dependent on oil. Fleming says they’re kidding themselves. They’re talking about oil use as a percentage of total energy use, not the actual amount of oil burned. Measured by the barrel, we’re burning more and more. In Britain, for instance, transportation needs have doubled in volume since 1973 and still rely almost entirely on oil. Transportation is the weak link in any modern economy; choke off the oil and a country quickly seizes. This wouldn’t matter much, Fleming laments, "if the world had spent the last 25 years urgently preparing alternative energies, conservation technologies, and patterns of land use with a much lower dependence on transport." (He figures 25 years to be the time it will take a country like Britain to break its habit.) Instead, "the long-expected shock finds us unprepared." Insuring food is a major concern, he says. We need to localize food production and return to using more human labor. Solar and wind power must be developed. Fuel must be rationed, on both a domestic and an international scale. We must resist the rising cry for more nuclear power, he says; it’s too pricey, and radioactive waste gets even more dangerous in times of political disarray. Fleming believes that burning more coal may be the "lesser evil." Despite coal’s negative impact on the climate, we’ll have to burn something while we’re working on alternatives. In any case, nothing will happen until political leaders and other social engineers accept the problem and get the public involved in solving it. There are dissenting views. Some argue that the world’s immediate problem is too much oil. They believe that low oil prices over the next 20 years could trigger turmoil in Central Asia, the Middle East, and other oil-rich hot spots. On a different front, the astronomer Thomas Gold and others question whether we really know what oil is. The usual rap is that oil began as tiny dead plants and animals filtering down through ancient seas. These stagnant beds were then buried under sediments and pressure-cooked into the tarry goo that runs our world. But according to Gold, oil may actually be an inorganic substance created deep in the earth’s molten innards—not a fossil fuel at all. And depleted fields might just fill again as more oil oozes upward. Sounds hopeful, until you factor in global warming. The only thing worse than running out of oil might be not running out of oil. 	The carbon dioxide we create by burning oil continues to heat the planet, yet the economy and the environment are still usually discussed as separate issues. Again, this reveals the need for better models than the ones social engineers now rely on. We also need a better worldview than the militant market optimism that so often underlies them. Without such a shift, the tension between reality and ideology could resolve itself in tragic ways. Fleming implies that our governments should take the lead, which is probably true, but can we wait? There are several respected estimates as to when the Big Rollover will occur. They all fall within the next 20 years. If you average them out, it doesn’t take much voodoo to end up on 2012. The winter solstice that year is said to mark the end of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mayan calendar. Decades ago, the late thinker Terence McKenna landed on the same date when he plotted out his "Time Wave Zero" theory. He did so before he knew of its significance among the Mayans, he claimed, though he was just enough of a showman to make you wonder. McKenna predicted modern society would descend at that moment into a "soft dark age," followed a few years later by a major mind shift that will lift us out of the dead-end thinking that shaped the angry, smoggy, smoldering 20th century. Some modern Mayans have interpreted it as a moment of cultural rebirth, stressing its positive aspects. Whatever led their star-gazing ancestors to pick that date, it is a good reminder that cultural patterns do change, and that other peoples have tried hard to anticipate why and when. We should do the same—if for no other reason than to keep from being caught in traffic when it happens. Discuss life after oil in Cafe Utne: http://café.utne.com or put your two cents in here…
YO
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Comment #16 posted by cajun01 on May 30, 2001 at 19:08:29 PT:
Kaptinemo....
You hit the nail on the head. I am a mechanical engineering student and know an old professor who used to work for Dupont. He knows what old man Dupont did for mary j.Keep up the great work FOM. This site is the best.
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Comment #15 posted by skeezix on May 30, 2001 at 18:30:51 PT
too bad
I feel sorry for people like Joyce and Frances.They are so retentive,they could probably crack a hazel nut with their butts
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Comment #14 posted by kaptinemo on May 30, 2001 at 16:51:59 PT:
Ah, but *we* aren't
They are.We all know who this they are. Pharmaceutical companies whose profits are threatened by natural alternatives to synthetics. Oil companies fearing competition from naturally derived sources of fuel and plastics. (Can't forget plastics; where would we be without them? Unfortunately, most of them are petroleum based. But the first plastics were derived originally from natural sources, like caseinates.) And of course, every person who earns his daily bread by arresting and incarcerating cannabis users...while murders go unsolved, children are molested, major corporations endanger the health of a nation, and steal it blind via white collar crime and corporate welfare...I could go on, but you get the point. Too bad sheeple like Joyce and Frances will never tumble to it.
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Comment #13 posted by Sudaca on May 30, 2001 at 16:16:51 PT
nice article
Friedman has been asking to get drugs legalized since 1972? The list just makes the unreality of the situation stand out. With so many people on the know how come we're still pursuing failed policy of the WOD?
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on May 30, 2001 at 15:42:15 PT
News Brief From The Associated Press
I didn't feel I should post this as a front page article but I thought you might like to read it. How will this make Bush feel about drugs and alcohol now I wonder?Police: Both Bush Twins Tried To Buy BoozeSource: Associated PressAuthor: Natalie GottPublished: May 30, 2001Copyright: 2001 Associated PressPresident Bush's 19-year-old twin daughters allegedly tried to buy alcohol at a restaurant, with one using someone else's identification card, police said Wednesday. Police said they received a 911 call Tuesday evening from the manager of Chuy's restaurant who said minors were attempting to purchase alcohol. Bush's daughters, Jenna and Barbara, "were alleged to have been involved," according to a statement released by Austin police. Police said Jenna Bush tried to purchase the alcohol using someone else's ID. Barbara did not, police said. "As no offense was witnessed by APD officers, following routine procedures, further investigation is required to determine if any charges will be filed," the statement said. The legal drinking age in Texas is 21. Police and the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission are investigating. Jenna Bush's attorney, William P. Allison, could not immediately be reached for comment. White House spokesman Scott McClellan declined comment. "If it involves the daughters in their private lives, it is a family matter," he said. Mark Dore, a manager at the restaurant, referred all questions to the corporate offices, which did not return messages. Less than a month ago, Jenna Bush pleaded no contest to a charge of being a minor in possession of alcohol in connection with another incident. The plea stemmed from a ticket police issued while checking for minors in possession of alcohol at nightclubs along the popular East Sixth Street entertainment district April 27. She was ordered to pay $51.25 in court costs, serve eight hours of community service and attend six hours of alcohol awareness classes. Jenna is a student at the University of Texas at Austin. Barbara attends Yale University. 
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Comment #11 posted by Dan B on May 30, 2001 at 15:18:44 PT:
Thanks FoM!
What a hilarious picture. I set it as my wallpaper.Take care.Dan B
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on May 30, 2001 at 15:14:13 PT
Thanks Everyone! You All AreThe Best
You have to check out the picture that was in the Village Voice article. I put it on the political board of Cannabis.com. I can post pics there. It sure made me laugh! http://boards.marihemp.com/boards/message.shtml?1x36863
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Comment #9 posted by dddd on May 30, 2001 at 15:11:03 PT
Magnificent!!!
A bright spot ,,,,,,in what I hope is the twilight of the war........dddd
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Comment #8 posted by Toker00 on May 30, 2001 at 15:02:23 PT
FoM
I agree with DanB. Hope yall get good results on the tests. The time you sacrifice to bring us these articles is so selfless. Realize, you are a pioneer, mlady, and the cause suffers no harm with your very necessary absences. Wishing you the best.Peace. Realize, then Legalize.
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Comment #7 posted by Kevin Hebert on May 30, 2001 at 14:37:47 PT:
Fantastic
This whole article gives me a lot of resolve. We aren't alone, and in fact, more people are on our side than we even know. The worldview regarding drugs is changing faster than our elected officials realize. Soon, they too will be swept out of office, and we can finally begin building the nation of liberty and freedom our Forefathers intended.
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Comment #6 posted by Dan B on May 30, 2001 at 14:36:14 PT:
FoM--Please Don't Apologize
I recall a time when you told me to never apologize in this forum. I now feel the need to return the favor.For goodness sake, please don't feel a need to apologize for not getting articles up sooner. You are the most diligent and attentive web site operator that I have yet encountered. On some days, priorities take over and the web site needs to take a rest while you attend to other things. We understand that. Please don't feel like you need to apologize for a slow news day, or when you have to do something important that takes a few hours from Cannabis News. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we all love you, and we respect your right to take care of your and your husband's personal business when you need to.I hope things are well for you and your husband. Take care.Dan B
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Comment #5 posted by observer on May 30, 2001 at 14:34:36 PT
more quotes
Wow! this is a great list of quotes on the injustice (not to mention futility) of the drug war.more drug war quotes here --http://www.pdxnorml.org/quotes.html 
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on May 30, 2001 at 14:14:54 PT
Toker00
Your're welcome! Sorry about being late getting any articles up but my husband had another test at the VA Hospital and when I looked early this morning before we left I couldn't find anything but I'm back and looking for more now!
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Comment #3 posted by Toker00 on May 30, 2001 at 14:02:52 PT
The aricle I've been looking for...
I printed and mailed this article to ALL my state reps and congresspeople. I feel like I have slapped them all in the face. Thanks FoM.Peace. Realize, then Legalize.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on May 30, 2001 at 13:59:30 PT
Thank You Dr. Russo
You have been such a blessing to us here at Cannabis News. I just want to thank you for all you are doing. 
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo, MD on May 30, 2001 at 13:43:57 PT:
I Just Gotta Brag, Your Honor
These are two fabulous articles that every American and their legislators should read. I had the honor to share a podium with Judge Sweet in NYC at the "Is Our Drug Policy Effective? Are There Alternatives" conference on March 17, 2000, the day after Patrick Dorismond was murdered by police on the street for no reason in the cause of the War on Drugs. One of the proudest moments I have ever had in doing this work was when Judge Sweet told the audience, "Ethan Russo is somebody I had not met until today, but isn't it a marvelous thing that there are people, even if they are as far away as Montana, who are struggling against the system, to bring reality and honesty into the debate?" My hat is off to you judge. It will take people such as you to have the courage to buck the trends, and attempt to make those who choose to be blind to see the truth. Many do now, and are even farther away than Montana. I see a groundswell of world opinion that needs to be fed and nurtured. I predict victory, but our enemies of ignorance and fascism are wounded now, and thus more dangerous than ever. Our efforts must be increased at every turn until there is true resolution. 
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